Career Self-Assessment Tool
Thinking of a midlife career change? If so, join the growing crowd of baby boomers and other midlifers seeking new careers that will bring joy, self-expression, enthusiasm, excitement, balance and stress relief. Use our Career Self-Assessment Tool free of charge to analyze your dreams, desires, skills, talents and abilities, and to replan your career direction. Share your results with us at our blog site.
Career Self-Assessment Tool
Instructions: You will need a printed copy of this tool, a pencil or pen, and a notepad. After you have printed the Career Self-Assessment Tool, read each question/statement. Then write your response either directly on the printed tool or on your notepad. When finished, review your responses. Write one or two goals that you would like to meet in the next six months. Under each goal, list a couple of tasks that will help you meet your goal (Goal instructions are repeated below in Questions 9 and 10).
- 1. Midlife women often report that when they were young girls, they had a dream career in mind. By the time they entered adulthood, the dream was put off, placed on hold, or died a silent death. In midlife, women begin to turn back to their original dream, and seek ways to bring it back to life.
- a. Did you have a dream when you were a young girl/adolescent? ____
- b. If so, write down your dream career ____________ . If you did not have a dream career, go on to question 2.
- 2. Think about the job you have now. Does this job meet your original dream?
- a. Not at all
- b. Some parts, but not others
- c. Yes, mainly
- d. I didn’t have a dream career when I was a young girl.
- 3. If you had the opportunity to work in your dream career field, what talents, skills and abilities could you transfer from your current job/work experience to your new career? (Write a list of responses on your notepad).
- 4. If you could work any place that you wanted, what would your ideal work environment look like?
- a. I’d work in an office, outside of my home
- b. I’d work in an office, at home
- c. I’d like to work in a customer-service establishment (restaurant, store, hotel, etc.)
- d. I’d like to work outdoors
- e. Other (describe your own)
- 5. What will you need to make the move to change careers?
- a. Additional training/education
- b. Adequate finances (to live on for a period of time, or to invest in your new career)
- c. Relocate to another geographic area of the country/world
- d. My significant other or family to support the change
- e. Personal courage, conviction, or commitment
- f. Other (describe your own)
- 6. What do you gain most from the job you currently hold?
- a. Financial Security
- b. Comfort - I know what to expect and trust
- c. A sense of contributing to something larger than myself
- d. Success and recognition
- e. Excitement and enthusiasm
- f. Other (describe your own)
- 7. What causes you to be disappointed in the job you currently hold?
- a. Lack of financial security
- b. Lack of personal support by bosses, coworkers, clients
- c. Feeling as if I don’t matter, or my opinions don’t count
- d. Lack of advancement opportunity
- e. Stress, dissatisfaction, disappointment in general
- f. Other (describe your own)
- 8. Review your responses to Questions 6 and 7. Do the gains outweigh the disappointments? Or, do the negatives listed in Question 7 outweigh the gains in Question 6.
- 9. Review all of your responses. You might find after reviewing your responses that you do not need to make a change now. You might find that you are more than ready to make a change, but need a few more resources (e.g. additional training/education, family support, etc.). Or, you might be ready to leap in. Whatever you decide, write two goals that embody two important changes you’d like to make in your career over the next six months. Goals should be realistic and attainable. For example, don’t set a goal to become a concert pianist in six months, if you don’t already know how to play piano. Instead, you might want to set a goal to sign up for piano lessons within the next six months.
- 10. Once you have written two realistic and attainable goals, write down two or three tasks under each goal that you need to complete in order to reach your goal. Visit your tasks and goals weekly. Add new tasks as necessary. By all means, expand your goals, if called for!